The internet is full of useful information to give you ideas on how to improve your farm or help with animal husbandry. Sometimes, though, having a book in your hand for a reference is faster than slogging through pages of websites or figuring out which YouTube video to watch.
There are times when you need to quickly look up something specific, such as an issue with a chicken. Or perhaps you have some free time on your hands (I know this is rare, but on occasion you might have a few minutes to spare.) to browse through a book related to your farm's needs.
Aside from some other blogs I enjoy looking through, here's a list of a few books that I like to keep on-hand for such an occasion. These books are solely related to livestock and yarn, as this is the most common use for sheep wool. A collection of gardening related books is in the works for a later post.
I personally own all of these books, and recommend them to anyone starting out with livestock. They are all well written and are very informative for a beginner, and for the more advanced farmer, having a book readily available is a practical solution to the internet should it be unavailable.
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I love the Storey's Guide to Raising books. Their books are well written and informative, and have enough color photos to help with what you need. They currently have 17 books in their collection, which include chickens, ducks, turkeys, horses, meat and dairy goats, sheep, honey bees, rabbits, pigs, beef cattle, and miniature livestock. You're sure to find what you need with this collection.
Description: Serious poultry farmers and backyard bird raisers have relied on this best-selling reference for more than 20 years. The fourth edition of Gail Damerow’s comprehensive handbook is now completely revised and redesigned, making it more accessible and informative than ever. You’ll get the most up-to-date details on shelter, food, health care, eggs, chicks, and meat, and recent research into chicken behavior and communication makes the sections on flock management truly authoritative.
Description: Storey’s Guide to Raising Sheep is the best-selling, most trusted reference for farmers and backyard homesteaders with any size flock. The fifth edition is now updated with full-color illustrations and photographs throughout, including a gallery of the best breed choices for both meat and fiber. With their small size and gentle dispositions, sheep are one of the easier livestock species to raise and offer varied marketing opportunities, including meat, wool, and milk. Detailed instructions and graphics lead readers through every essential procedure, including shearing, building a lambing shed, breeding and lambing, butchering, and marketing.
Another sheep book is this small book, Miniature Sheep. A Complete Owners Guide. This book is a quick read about miniature sheep.
Description: This guide covers everything you need to know about miniature sheep including:
Are miniature sheep a good choice for you?
Which breed should I choose?
Health considerations
Nutrition
Costs and considerations
Breeding and breed standards
What to know BEFORE you buy
Daily care, safety…and much more
Description: Learn how to take care of chickens, pigs, sheep, cows, and other livestock. Each chapter of this fully illustrated book is dedicated to a different animal, and you will learn not only how to take care of them but also what sorts of things you can get from them.
Description: This concise book is loaded with valuable information about ridding livestock of their unwanted guests. Whether you're raising sheep, pigs, horses, cows, chickens, goats, or other farm animals, this book will teach you how to keep them healthy and parasite-free through organic systems and without the use of harsh chemicals.
Description: A comprehensive and inspiring full-color guide to small-scale fiber farming and wool crafting—from selecting and raising sheep and alpacas to shearing, sorting, combing and spinning.
Description: The ancient craft of spinning is becoming increasingly popular with today's modern craft enthusiasts as it provides a method of creating unique, personal and unusual yarns that can be used in contemporary weaving, knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, embroidery and macramé. It is a highly creative craft, yet simple to learn, and therein lies both its fascination and challenge. The story of spinning is interwoven with the history of man. The first attempt at spinning probably consisted of twisting animal fibers with suitable plant material. Some forms of hand spinning existed as early as 15,000 years ago in Asia, and 12,000 years ago in North Africa. Many of the earliest methods and tools are still in use to this day, especially the various drop spindles, and the Indian and Navajo types of spindles. The spinning wheel itself is believed to have evolved in India 800 to 1,000 years ago.
Description: A revised guide to needlecraft provides step-by-step instructions for and valuable tips on knitting, quilting, embroidery, crochet, and other creative crafts, furnishing a review of materials, a stitch glossary, and illustrations and diagrams demonstrating basic stitching techniques.
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